National “Bookmark Your Library” website opens for business, with some worrying survey results

The official launch of the Bookmark Your Library website was marked today by the launch of a survey into attitudes to public libraries. The survey showed that a large part of the respondents (a respectable sample at 2000) have not recently used libraries and were not aware of what they had to offer. This is hardly surprising considering the lack of publicity and marketing that has been carried out but it is depressing. More worryingly even than that though was that only a relatively small number said that they would be upset if the library closed down. Perhaps because they did not know what was within it. Being that the website is a joint venture by several key national bodies concerned with libraries, this could be seen as somewhat shooting oneself in the foot, as one observer noted to me via email:

“One has to ask oneself (and I’m happy to be quoted) why the outfits behind Bookmark Your Library – inc. ACE, part of whose remit is to ‘promote’ public libraries – have used their first Press Release to encourage negative reports in the media.” Shirley Burnham

Those behind the website hope, of course, that it will boost the opportunities for others to see how important libraries are. There’s some useful stuff on the pages and I recommend it to you to have a look at. It allows you, for instance, to find your local library or even the nearest one which has the book you’re after. The searches I did on the site showed that it was not overly user friendly and could be said to be downright wonky, but it’s better than nothing and at least provides ground for improvement. Let’s hope that happens. At least before any more similar research is published by library bodies that could be used to argue against libraries rather than for them.

News

Are our public libraries being forgotten? “Use them or lose them” says new online library service – Bookmark Your Library. Research results commissioned to mark opening of new public libraries website suggests that libraries are not seen as important as they once were. Survey of 2000 people shows 60% no longer visit libraries, technology is replacing them, “biggest driving force to visit a library is being a parent”, “Only a third know that their local library offers reading groups; only 1 in 10 know they offer genealogy services; and 60% didn’t know they offer music rental, something which was introduced to the majority of public libraries years ago.”. Report concludes “use them or lose them”.

Edward Vaizey(Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Culture, Communications and Creative Industries), Business, Innovation and Skills; Wantage, Conservative)Public Library Service Standards in England were withdrawn by the previous Administration in a move towards increased local autonomy. Local authorities remain best placed to determine how to provide a library service to their local community and the Government is not considering adopting the Scottish Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix for libraries in England.

Iraqi librarian saved 30,000 books during 2003 invasion – Al Arabiya (Iraq). ““At the beginning of the war on Iraq, the governor [of Basra] took the library over as a headquarters for himself and his guards, mounting machine guns on top of the building. So, we asked the governor if we could take the important books to our homes, but he rejected the idea. Eventually we took the responsibility ourselves to transfer the books, without the governor’s approval,” she said, looking back ten years.”

Why I Love Our Public Libraries – Open Book Toronto (Canada). “Torontonians love our public libraries. We need them. We depend upon them at every stage of life, and if we are poor, isolated or struggling they offer hope for change. Libraries are sacred. They are free and accessible. They are the first line of knowledge and information for many people and they must be protected at any cost.”

Barnet – Services outsourcing challenged in court – BBC. “In her application for judicial review, Maria Nash is claiming Barnet Council failed to consult residents. Ms Nash, who is a wheelchair user, is also claiming the authority failed to carry out a proper impact assessment under the Equality Act.”

Bristol – New Junction 3 library opens – BBC. “A new £3m library, which includes a learning centre, a computer suite and a children’s library, has opened in Bristol.” … “”In Bristol we are doing really, really well and have almost two million people through our doors every year.”

Croydon – Labour Party motion on Croydon’s libraries is defeated – This is Croydon. “Labour put forward a motion expressing regret at the Tory administration’s failed privatisation and proposing a cross-party working party to come up with a co-operative model for local libraries, giving them their own budgets and responsibilities.”

“We are publically warning now anybody bidding for this contract, for which there is absolutely no mandate at all, that if Labour win the 2014 local elections we will abide by will of the people. Residents have shown in success consultation that they do not want libraries to be privatised.”

Croydon – Croydon libraries announce Cityread events – Croydon Guardian. “Libraries across the borough are putting on a series of events next month as part of the London-wide scheme Cityread. Activities are based around Sebastian Faulks’ novel, A Week in December, which was selected as Cityread’s book of choice in 2013.”

Lewisham – Jude Law visits Blackheath Age Exchange library – News Shopper. “The Sherlock Holmes actor popped into Number Eleven – the home of Age Exchange – in Blackheath Village for a spot of lunch before posing for pictures. Law, whose latest film Side Effects has just been released, was one of the first members of Age Exchange’s Youth Theatre in the 1980s when the charity was first set up.”

“The council is currently deciding whether to purchase a new bus or discontinue the service. Lindy Elliott, Library Services manager at Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘To replace the bus would cost between £40,000 and £80,000 depending on the age and specification of the vehicle selected. ‘We would also be required to find additional £5,000 to £7,000 annual service and maintenance costs. ‘To meet these costs would require savings to be made elsewhere in the Library Services budget.’”

This entry was posted by Ian Anstice on March 19, 2013 at 11:39 pm, and is filed under Uncategorized. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

“The official launch of the Bookmark Your Library website was marked today by the launch of a survey into attitudes to public libraries.”

This statement in itself holds the key to the results of the survey. Many library users are too young, too old, or without IT access at home to bother with a web survey so it is inevitable it will be skewed in the opposite direction. Is it too much for simple logic to be applied to these lopsided web schemes?

After all if you look at Taking Part, which is a massive survey that is representative and NOT done online, and has been done for a long while, you’ll find that this evidence (the best there is by the way) says give or take 40% of people use libraries. So to find that 60% DON’T use libraries is hardly a revelation, is it?

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Numbers

From 1st April 2017 to end of March 2018, CIPFA reported 127 libraries lost. Since 1st April 2016 to end of March 2017. CIPFA reported 105 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3745 branches. 2015 to end of March 2016: CIPFA reported 121 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3850 libraries. In 2014/15 there was a decline of 106 public libraries, (with 260 static libraries were put under threat of closure/passing to volunteers. 9 mobile libraries under threat in the same period). .

There were 4023 in 2013/14, 4482 in 2009/10 and 4622 in 2003/4. CIpfa have calculated that 121 service points lost in 2015/16, 106 service points were lost in 2014/15, 49 were lost in 2013/14, 74 were lost in 2012/13, 201 in 2011/12, 33 in 2010/11.

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I would also like to add at this point my thanks to Shirley Burnham for her frequent emails with relevant public libraries news which I then use as a a large part of the material for this site.

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